Red Oak Burl

firefighter ontheside · January 25, 2019, 10:27:48 PM

PA few weeks ago I cut down a red oak with a burl about 32" across. The tree had died this summer, so when the ground was frozen seemed a good time to take it down. The log was about 8" long, 18" diameter and the burl was about 32" across and almost all the way around the log. I put it on the mill and cut numerous 4/4 slices until I couldn't go any further. Then I turned the log 90° and cut again. Most of the burl was off and I could begin to slab the log. I got a bunch of pieces with just burl, plus a bunch of slabs 8' long, 6/4 thick with burl in the middle. I was very pleasantly surprised how pretty the burl wood was.

doc henderson · January 25, 2019, 11:15:57 PM

What a gold mine. congratulations. that is cool!

firefighter ontheside · January 25, 2019, 11:18:36 PM

I hope it dries nicely. I think I'm gonna dry it indoors at my wife's office building.

Crossroads · January 25, 2019, 11:52:00 PM

That's very nice!

Brad_bb · January 26, 2019, 12:02:22 AM

No rot! You're doing well!

Old Greenhorn · January 26, 2019, 08:47:49 AM

Very pretty. Just so that I understand: all your cuts were along the axis of the log (with the grain), not cookies, correct? I have a white oak just like this but not quite as big. It is still standing until I figure out the proper way to handle it. For air drying, are you doing any sealing on it? There really is no end grain that I can see, so what can be done to minimize cracking?

firefighter ontheside · January 26, 2019, 09:06:40 AM

Quote from: Brad_bb on January 26, 2019, 12:02:22 AM
No rot! You're doing well!

Nope, no rot. Just some bark inclusion here and there.

I have read that you should seal it so that it dries very slowly. I am not going tO do that. I'm not interested in waiting that long. Just gonna stack and sticker it indoors.

Yes, I cut it with the grain direction of the log, but I don't think that matters. There is no grain direction of the burl. It was just the easiest way for me with it still attached to the log. After I got as much of the burl off as I could without getting into the log, then I just started cutting slabs as usual.

Old Greenhorn · January 26, 2019, 09:15:31 AM

OK, will be interested to see how this turns out. How many slabs did you get just off the burl before you got into the log. i am thinking you did all 4 sides first?

firefighter ontheside · January 26, 2019, 09:47:05 AM

I got about 7 burl slices off of 2 sides. The third side I only got a few. The last side did not have any burl. That was the side I put down when I started slabbing the log. I didn't finish slabbing the log yet, because I started getting wavy cuts. I believe that was due to the very frozen log. It was 8 yesterday morning.

boonesyard · January 26, 2019, 10:50:26 AM

That is beautiful. I've got a number of very large burls on the property, but the trees are in relatively good health. It's interesting to see what may be in them. I hope they dry well for you.

Old Greenhorn · January 26, 2019, 12:08:45 PM

Here is the one I am looking at. The truck is 16-18" just below the burl. If you look close, you can see a hole in the middle. Not sure how I will cut this. It is not completely around the tree either.

firefighter ontheside · January 26, 2019, 04:21:17 PM

Quote from: boonesyard on January 26, 2019, 10:50:26 AM
That is beautiful. I've got a number of very large burls on the property, but the trees are in relatively good health. It's interesting to see what may be in them. I hope they dry well for you.

Yeah, I never would have cut it down if it hadn't died. Been watching the burl grow for about 10 years or so.
That tree looks a lot like mine did. I don't know if the way I cut it is best, but you could do what I did.

WDH · January 27, 2019, 08:30:20 AM

Stacking green red oak inside if it is a climate controlled space might not be the best way to go.

firefighter ontheside · January 27, 2019, 08:53:24 AM

Quote from: WDH on January 27, 2019, 08:30:20 AM
Stacking green red oak inside if it is a climate controlled space might not be the best way to go.

I was thinking of just putting the burl slices in there.

WDH · January 27, 2019, 06:48:42 PM

If they dry too fast, they might crack and split. Oak has to dry slow, but I have no experience with oak burl. It is a watchout.

firefighter ontheside · January 27, 2019, 08:13:47 PM

Thanks for the heads up Danny. These will be in a back room at my wife's office building. The rooms are otherwise unused and normally closed off from the rest of the building. They get a limited amount of heating and cooling, but will certainly be drier than outside.